HTTPS scanning in Web Shield - FAQs

What is HTTPS scanning in Avast Antivirus?

HTTPS scanning is a feature of Web Shield in Avast Antivirus and is automatically enabled when Avast is installed. HTTPS scanning decrypts and scans encrypted traffic to detect potential mawlare contained on sites using HTTPS connections.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) is a more secure version of the standard HTTP connection. HTTPS adds encryption which prevents others from eavesdropping, and helps ensure that you are connected to the intended server.

For detailed information about HTTPS, refer to the wikipedia page below:

What is the benefit of HTTPS scanning?

While an HTTPS connection ensures that the connection can not be modified by anyone else, it does not guarantee that the content contained on the site is clean. Malware scripts and binaries can be placed into an HTTPS page that appears to be safe. The HTTPS scanning feature prevents you from downloading malicious content from sites secured with an HTTPS connection onto your PC.

Is the HTTPS connection still secure when Avast scans it?

When the Web Shield in Avast Antivirus scans the HTTPS connection, the data being scanned remains encrypted and secure. While HTTPS scanning is in effect, the Web Shield and your browser are on the same PC.

Is all my web traffic sent to the Avast servers?

No, all scanning occurs locally on your PC during the HTTPS connection. No one outside of your PC can read or decipher the connection.

Does Avast scan all HTTPS connections?

When HTTPS scanning is enabled, Avast scans all HTTPS connections for potential malware except for verified sites which have been added to our whitelist. This list primarily contains banking sites. If your bank is not on this list, or you want to exclude a certain site from HTTPS scanning, you can verify the site's security certificate and submit it via email to banks-whitelist@avast.com.